The EU’s Role in Global Development Aid

The European Union remains the world’s largest development donor, but the latest data shows a system under increasing pressure. In 2024, the EU and its Member States collectively provided approximately €88.7 billion in Official Development Assistance (ODA), maintaining around 42% of global aid (European External Action Service, 2025).

This reflects a decline from the €95.9 billion recorded in 2023 (Council of the European Union, 2024), signalling a downward trend. At the institutional level, EU bodies, including the European Commission and the European Investment Bank, delivered about $27.7 billion in 2024 (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, 2025).

The global context is even more concerning. Total development aid fell to around $212–214 billion in 2024, while early 2025 estimates indicate a drop to $174.3 billion — a 23% decline, the largest contraction on record (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, 2025).

Within the EU, progress toward the 0.7% GNI target remains limited. The EU’s ODA ratio declined to approximately 0.47% in 2024, with several Member States reducing commitments (CONCORD Europe, 2025).

Despite these pressures, EU development aid remains structurally significant. It combines financial support with governance reform, institutional development, and long-term partnerships, positioning the EU as a key actor in sustainable development and global stability.

The project “Towards an open, fair and sustainable Europe in the world – EU Presidency Project 2024-2026” is co-funded by the European Union and implemented by Global Focus, Grupa Zagranica, CARDET, and CONCORD, the European Confederation of NGOs working on sustainable development and international cooperation. Project Number: 2024 / 459-484. The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of CARDET and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.

References

• European External Action Service (2025) Annual Report
• Council of the European Union (2024) ODA Report
• Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (2025) Development Co-operation Data
• CONCORD Europe (2025) AidWatch Report

Dr Marinos Papaioakeim,
Strategic Partnerships and Development Lead at CARDET

The article was published at the PolicyPress.